Māori Party pushes for Māori Focus Unit at Mt Eden Prison

The Māori Party is pushing for a Māori Focus Unit to be set up inside Mount Eden Prison as a way to rehabilitate the inmates and steer them away from fighting other prisoners.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Avenue

A former prisoner who has run tikanga programmes for offenders said there was a lack of Māori staff at Mt Eden Prison.

Sam White said the Corrections budget was huge and more resources should go to Māori organisations to run programmes for Māori offenders.

Māori Party co-leader, Mārama Fox said that the punitive approach to dealing with Māori prisoners needed to change and rehabilitation through a Māori Focus Unit would help curb allegations of fighting.